


Safely Insecure

by MistressofHappyEndings



Category: 30 Seconds to Mars
Genre: Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Gen, Hurt/Comfort, Injury Recovery, Jared being amazing, Shannon & Tomo being equally amazing
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-12-08
Updated: 2013-12-08
Packaged: 2018-01-03 23:58:46
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,275
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1074584
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MistressofHappyEndings/pseuds/MistressofHappyEndings
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Shannon and Tomo are injured in a moderately bad car accident.  Jared takes care of them.  Then they take care of Jared.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Safely Insecure

**Author's Note:**

> Didn't mean to leave Vickie out, but I somehow forgot about her when I wrote this. Please forgive!

“For fuck’s sake, Jared, would you sit the hell down? You’re driving me fucking crazy!” Shannon growled as his younger brother swept past him on another frenetic circuit around their living room.

He regretted the harsh words as soon as they left his mouth. Pain and lack of sleep because of the pain had frayed his normal good humor, but Jared was the last person he should be taking it out on. His brother had been nothing short of a rock since the car accident that had left him with a badly broken leg and Tomo with several crushed ribs. Jared had been taking care of both of them since they’d been released from the hospital, even insisting to their mother that he could handle it all by himself when she’d been called away. Matt and Libby also had showed up periodically with meals and offers to run errands, but for the most part, Jared had been on his own.

And he’d been doing one helluva job. Shannon had never figured Jared for such a patient nurse, but he’d dealt with pills, bandages, showers, clothes and meals for two invalids with an amazing grace. Tomo had teased him about missing his true calling the night they’d come home, and he’d found all his pillows stacked carefully in a near perfect support for his ribs. Jared had only smiled and eased him down into the nest of blankets before handing him his evening meds. Shannon had been similarly tucked in that night.

But over the past few days, both Shannon and Tomo had noticed a change in their ever-attentive caregiver. Jared didn’t just look tired, he looked utterly wiped out, like he wasn’t sleeping at all. He’d grown quieter, too, but more jittery, unable to stay still and utterly incapable of letting either of his charges out of his sight for more than a few minutes. Shannon knew that if he let Jared pass the couch one more time, his brother would probably bolt for the kitchen to check on Tomo.

Jared barely paused in his pacing at Shannon’s outburst, but he couldn’t completely hide a flinch. That was the last straw for Shannon. Bracing his casted leg out against the back of the couch, he planted his other foot on the floor and caught Jared around the waist on his next pass. He had to duck Jared’s flailing arms as he swung his brother down onto the couch in front of him, but years as the eldest Leto male made that easy. Just as it was easy for him to settle back against the arm of the couch with Jared tucked close to keep him from bouncing back to his feet.

“Dammit, Shannon, let me go,” Jared snapped, struggling half-heartedly against the strong embrace. He didn’t want to hurt Shannon more.

“Not until you tell me what’s going on it that crazy head of yours,” Shannon retorted. “And don’t try and tell me nothing. I know you better than that. So spill.”

Jared froze. “Just let it go, Shan,” he begged softly. “You need to focus on getting better. I’ll be okay, don’t worry.”

“Not gonna happen. I’m the big brother in this relationship, remember? I’m always going to worry, it’s in my DNA. C’mon, Jay, just tell me,” he coaxed. “Please. It’s killing me to see you like this.”

At these words, Jared tried again to fight his way out of Shannon’s hold, but Shannon was implacable. For several long moments, they sat locked in a battle of wills and tangled limbs until Jared finally conceded defeat. He drew his feet up and twisted about so that he was pressed close into his older brother’s solid warmth.

“I thought you were dead. You and Tomo.”

Shannon drew in a shocked breath. Of all the things Jared could have said, those whispered words were the last he’d expected. “Dear God, why?”

“The hospital couldn’t reach me right away,” Jared answered bleakly. “I had to find out from the fucking news. They said there were fatalities. Fatalities! Then I tried to call you, and you didn’t answer. What the hell else was I supposed to think?”

“Oh fuck,” Shannon muttered, holding Jared closer. “I’m so sorry, Jared. Who finally told you we were okay?”

“Mum. I was so messed up, I didn’t even think to call her. She had to call me. I don’t think I’ve ever driven as fast as I did to the hospital that night.”

Shannon tilted his head until his mouth brushed Jared’s dark hair. “Jay, why didn’t you say something sooner?”

“You had enough of your own shit to deal with, you didn’t need mine, too. And you were okay, you and Tomo. I didn’t think it would matter. Until I started having nightmares, and they won’t fucking stop. Just keep getting worse and worse until I can’t fucking sleep.”

Jared made a wounded little snuffling sound and snuggled deeper into his brother’s broad chest. “I’m so damn tired, Shan, but every time I close my eyes, you’re dead. And I’m alone.”

Shannon tightened his hold around Jared and rocked him gently. “No, you’re not, Jay. I’m right here. Tomo’s in the kitchen. We haven’t left you, and we aren’t going to.”

“. . . promise?”

Shannon closed his eyes at the raw plea in his little brother’s voice. There was no way he could remain silent against that, no matter how impossible Jared’s request. Like worry, reassurance was also coded in his DNA. 

“I promise, Jared,” he said quietly, one hand smoothing down Jared’s spine, the other rubbing the back of his neck. “I promise.”

Jared made another small noise and hitched himself a tiny bit further into Shannon’s arms. He hid his face against the soft cotton of Shannon’s sleep shirt. A faint, hot dampness seeped through to the skin beneath.

Not knowing what else he could do or say to ease his brother’s distress, Shannon tried the one thing that had always worked when they were little. He hummed to himself a moment to get the words right in his head. And then he began to sing.

***

Tomo eyed the tray loaded with the morning round of coffee and painkillers with a mixture of trepidation and stubbornness. Jared hadn’t let him lift anything heavier than a toothbrush for the last couple of weeks, and now he wasn’t so sure that he should have insisted he could manage this task on his own. But Jared had looked so tired, and Tomo was getting impatient with his recovery time. This just shouldn’t be that hard.

Damn drunk driver . . . 

Taking as deep a breath as his injuries would allow, Tomo carefully picked up the tray. He paused a moment for balance then slowly edged towards the living room. As he reached the doorway, he stopped at a strange sound coming from the other room. It could almost have been singing, something soft and sweet, but it didn’t sound like Jared. Too rough, too unpracticed, maybe the TV? With a mental shrug - because a real one would have hurt too damn much - Tomo continued through the door to his band mates.

Beautiful was his first thought, sadness his next. He knew that Jared had been suffering, but he hadn’t known it had gotten this bad. And yet, watching the two of them together - Jared huddled into his brother’s embrace, his fingers clawed into Shannon’s shirt - Shannon hunched protectively around his little brother while singing a rough lullaby - Tomo could almost imagine a similar scene from when they were kids. An almost perfect blend of trust and vulnerability, and Tomo couldn’t help feeling honored to witness it even as he worried about Jared.

Tomo set the tray down onto the coffee table then skirted around it to the couch. Using Shannon’s knee as a brace, he eased down onto the floor in front of the brothers. Shannon gave him a slight nod but kept on singing. Jared didn’t seem to realize he was there yet. Glancing up at Shannon for permission, Tomo carefully set his hand on Jared’s head. 

As Shannon’s song tapered off, Jared slowly opened his eyes, staring straight at Tomo, almost through him. Tomo stifled a gasp at the desolation in the muddied blue depths. 

“Tomo?” Jared croaked.

“Yeah, it’s me,” he acknowledged, skritching his fingers against Jared’s scalp in soothing circles. “How’re you doing?”

“Tired.”

“Then you should sleep.”

Jared shook his head, his eyes falling closed once more. “Can’t. Don’t want to lose you again.”

“What -- ?” Tomo began, but Shannon shot him a look that made him change the question to, “I’m right here, Jared. You haven’t lost me. Ever.”

Jared didn’t answer with words. Instead, he tugged Tomo’s hand out of his hair. Sliding his fingers between Tomo’s, he brought the inside of the other man’s wrist to his mouth. After a few seconds, he let out a soft sigh and relaxed fractionally.

Tomo’s eyes widened when he realized what Jared was doing. His friend had once said that his favorite sound was a human heartbeat. Head against Shannon’s chest, lips pressed to Tomo’s pulse point, Jared had surrounded himself with that beat - the proof of their living presence. Tomo still didn’t understand all of what was going on, but he saw the gentling effect such contact had on Jared and it gave him an idea.

“Jared, do you think you could sleep if we were both there with you?”

Jared drug his eyes open to stare blearily at the kneeling man. “What?”

“That’s actually a good idea,” Shannon jumped in. “Think about it, Jay - you wouldn’t have to wonder were we were, and we would wake you up if the nightmares got bad.”

‘Nightmares?’ Tomo mouthed as Jared muttered, “No, don’t wanna sleep.”

“C’mon, Jay, don’t be an idiot,” Shannon admonished gently. He pulled back a bit so he could see more of his brother’s face. “You’re exhausted. This will help, I promise. Now get off me so we can go to bed.”

“Only one question left, guys - whose bed are we bunking down in?” Tomo asked.

“That would be up to Jared,” Shannon decided. “So, which one is it going to be, little brother?”

Jared looked down as a dull red flush crept up his face. He finally mumbled something that neither of his companions understood.

“You wanna try that again?” Shannon prodded.

Jared shook his head but reluctantly repeated, “Tomo’s.”

Two sets of eyebrows shot up in surprise. “Not that I’m objecting in any way, Jared,” Tomo said carefully, “but why?”

Jared scrubbed at his face and left his hand over his eyes as he replied, “Whenever I can’t sleep and you’re not staying over, if I don’t just keep walking the floors, I - uh - I usually end up there.”

“Why didn’t you say something? I would have traded with you if it would have helped you sleep.”

“I - no - I couldn’t do that.”

Tomo reached up and gently pried Jared’s fingers from his face. Holding the bloodshot gaze, he asked, “Why not?”

“Because it’s your room.”

Tomo didn’t really know how to respond to that, so he decided to just get up instead. A lightning bolt of pure pain arced across his rib cage, catching him by surprise and forcing him to bite back a scream. His nails bit into Shannon’s knee.

“Ow,” Shannon muttered, reflexively pulling his leg back from the small pain. “What the hell, Tomo?”

Support gone, Tomo swayed slightly and wrapped his arms around his ribs protectively. “Sorry.”

The strained tone caught both brothers’ attention. “Hey, man, what’s wrong?” Shannon asked, resting a hand on one thin shoulder.

“S’okay, just give me a minute. Stayed in one place too long, got stiff.”

Caregiver switch thrown, Jared was in motion before Tomo finished speaking. He slid off the couch and reached for the abandoned pills on the coffee table. He scooped up the ones he knew belonged to Tomo and shuffled across the floor until he crouched closely behind his friend.

“Open up,” he commanded quietly, reaching around to hold the painkillers and coffee in front of Tomo’s mouth.

Knowing it was easier to just comply rather than try and out-stubborn Jared, Tomo silently opened his mouth and accepted both offerings. Jared waited patiently for him to finish and set the cup aside. Then, with a careful precision honed over the past few weeks as their nurse, he slid one arm around Tomo’s waist and the other around his shoulders.

“Here’s what we’re going to do,” Jared murmured. “On the count of three, we’re gonna stand up. I want you to let me do all of the work, okay? Just lean back on me and breathe. Ready?”

“Hang on a minute, Jared,” Shannon interrupted. He swung himself around until he sat awkwardly on the edge of the couch with a leg on each side of the kneeling men. Leaning forward he reached down and caught Tomo’s hips in a firm grasp. Startled, Tomo blinked up at Shannon. Shannon grinned back. “We’ve got you, Tomo. Now, let’s get you on your feet. One …”

“… Two. Three,” Jared finished.

Together, the three of them were able to get Tomo to his feet with a minimum of pain. The brothers kept Tomo tucked between them until he found his balance. Once the younger man stood well enough on his own, Jared stepped back a pace and picked up Shannon’s coffee and meds. He held them out to his brother.

“Your turn.”

Shannon grimaced. He hated how groggy the pills made him, and he wasn’t hurting too badly at the moment. Especially since Jared might need him to wake him up or something later. The coffee was a good idea, though …

“Shannon …” Jared warned sternly.

“You sounded just like Mum right then,” Shannon smirked around his coffee mug. His grin straightened at the glare he got back in return. “I don’t need them right now, Jared. Bring them with you, and I’ll take them later. Just hand me my crutches, will you, and let’s get this show on the road.”

Jared frowned down at his recalcitrant brother a few moments before giving up and handing him the damn crutches. He watched, arms crossed tightly, as Shannon lurched gracelessly to his feet. Resisting the urge - need - to help his brother was nearly impossible, but Jared somehow managed it. Once standing, Shannon met Jared’s stare steadily and waited for him to move. Jared dropped his head and took a deep, deep breath. When he exhaled, he seemed to deflate, all traces of authority gone.

“Okay.” He turned and trudged towards Tomo’s bedroom.

Trading a concerned look, the other two men trailed after him. Tomo followed Jared straight on into the room; Shannon lingered by the door. Jared was standing by Tomo’s unmade bed, looking down at it like he didn’t know how he’d gotten there or what he was supposed to do now that he was. Tomo touched his arm, drawing that weary, confused gaze to himself. He smiled and slid his hand down to circle Jared’s wrist. He gave a slight tug.

“C’mon, Jared, lie down. You’ll feel better after you get some sleep.”

Jared stared blankly at him but made no move to lie down. Tomo sighed then stepped behind his friend -- “always so damn stubborn, Jay” -- and shoved him gently onto the bed. He hissed as the gesture shot pain through his chest, but at least Jared was where he needed to be. Muttering quiet obscenities, Tomo gingerly eased himself down onto the pillows piled high on one side of the bed until he lay stretched out in a semi-reclined position. Once he settled down, he looked over at his bedmate to find Jared watching him from a small distance.

Tomo raised his arm and invited, “C’mere.”

This suggestion Jared had no trouble following. He crept closer to Tomo until he was plastered, limpet-like, to the younger man’s side. Throwing an arm over Tomo’s thighs, he hid his face in Tomo’s stomach and drew his knees up until they were digging into Tomo’s calf. A soft, ragged cry escaped him when Tomo reached down and rested his hand on the curve of his neck.

The mattress dipped and rolled, and a moment later, a wave of solid warmth enveloped Jared from head to toe. He immediately melted back against it. He knew that warmth, had grown up with it, sought shelter in it before, the safest place he knew.

“Shannon,” he breathed as a strong arm tucked under his own over Tomo’s legs.

“Ssh, I’ve got you, Jared,” his brother’s voice whispered into his ear. “We’ve got you. Nothing bad’s gonna happen to you while we’re here. You can sleep now, little brother. We’ve got you.”

Shannon’s promise in his ear, the steady rise and fall of Tomo’s breathing against his cheek, and Jared believed. Releasing a deep, shuddering breath, he gave up the vigilance he’d demanded of himself since bringing the others home from the hospital and finally, finally relaxed. He was asleep within minutes.

“Thank God,” Shannon muttered as he felt Jared’s body go heavy in his arms.

“Yeah,” Tomo agreed quietly. “Let’s hope he stays under for a while.” He swept his fingers lightly against the arch of Jared’s neck. “You gonna tell me what’s up with those nightmares you were talking about?”

Shannon shifted uncomfortably then stilled when Jared made an unhappy noise. Once his brother settled back down, he answered, “He thought we were dead. The hospital couldn’t reach him at first, and he couldn’t reach us. It was over an hour before Mum called him and told him the truth. He’s been having nightmares of us dying ever since.”

“God,” Tomo whispered. “No wonder he hasn’t been sleeping.”

“Yeah. So this was a good idea. Thanks for that.”

Tomo shrugged slightly, “Well, it looked like your singing was doing the trick before I came back into the living room. I just got us someplace more comfortable. What were you singing, anyway?”

A faint flush of red stole up Shannon’s neck and face. “It’s, ah, something I came up with when we were little. Why?”

“Sounded sweet, is all.” Tomo yawned suddenly. “Sorry, drugs are kicking in. You going to be okay for a while?”

“Go to sleep, Tomo, I got this.”

“Not alone, you don’t, Shan. You wake me up if you need anything, okay?” Another yawn caught him. “If I find out you didn’t, I’ll break your other leg for you.”

Shannon chuckled softly. As bleary with sleep as Tomo sounded, he couldn’t break a toothpick. “Go to sleep.”

“I’ll sleep if you sing again.”

Shannon nearly gave into the urge to slap Tomo’s legs, but thought the better of it, since it would very likely wake his brother. After a labored moment, though, Shannon began to hum softly, willing to share the melody despite wanting to keep the words for Jared . . . for the moment. Tomo shut his eyes, expression soft and peaceful.

Shannon kept vigil as he’d planned. He hadn’t been wanting to fall asleep, but Jared’s soft breath and the tranquility on Tomo’s face were lulling. His family was secure and resting, and the weariness of helping them get there was beginning to grasp at him.

The notes of his hummed song fell off into the morning-lit air when he was absolutely sure the other two wouldn’t suddenly wake. Only then did Shannon succumb to the warmth and familiarity next to him. His breathing smoothed and fell into step with Tomo’s and his brother’s. It was finally safe to fall into healing slumber, for all of them.

End.


End file.
